The Jordan Harbinger Show 1279: The Gold Standard | Skeptical Sunday
47 snips
Feb 1, 2026 
Nick Pell, writer and researcher who analyzes history and monetary policy, breaks down the allure of gold as money. He traces how the gold standard arose, why it collapsed during wars, and why today’s global economy far outgrows all the gold. They discuss who would win or lose under a gold return and explore practical alternatives that give discipline without wrecking commerce.
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Why Gold Won As Money
- Gold became dominant because it is durable, divisible, and hard to obtain or counterfeit.
- Those physical traits and user consensus made gold unusually well-suited as money.
Gold Standard's Modern Origin
- Nick explains the gold standard began in Britain in 1821 and spread by the 1890s.
- The U.S. adopted it in 1879, so the classical gold era was relatively brief.
War Broke The Gold Link
- Countries suspended gold convertibility to fund World War I and never fully returned to the old peg system.
- By 1971 Nixon ended global gold convertibility, leaving fiat money backed by trust and power.
